Traffic signal for automobiles



M. C. OHL

TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Oct. 9 1923. 1,469,806

Filed March 31, 1925 2 L www] c mi Patented Oct. 9, 1923.

UNIT nSTATES MICHAEL C. OHL, OIF DENVER, COLORADO.

TRAFFIC SIGN'AL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application led March 31, 1923. Serial No. 629,076.

To all 'whom t may concern.' 'Y

Be it known that I, MICHAEL C. OHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, 'in the city and county ofvDenver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traiiic Signals for Automobiles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art'to which it apperv tains to make and use the same, reference being had to the 'accompanying drawings, and to the 'characters of reference marked thereon, whlch form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to traffic signals for automobiles.

The automobiles have become so numerous that unless some means is provided whereby v tending the left arm, but this is not practi` cal whose closed cars are employed or where the lcars are enclosed with curtains, as they usually are in winter and on `stormy days.

I am aware that a large number of patents have been -issued for signals that are intended to be applied to automobiles for the purpose of signaling the drivers intentions t0 stop or turn. For some reason none of these signals have been ado ted to any extent a'xd very few automo iles have any signaling means.

It is essential that a signal shall be positive in its operation and that it can be controlled by means within convenient reach of the driver. v

It is the obj ect of this invention to produce I, a signal that shall be positive in its operation and which can be relied upon to perform its function without fail, and which can be cheaply stalled.

Ihave found that the most reliable means for operating a signal is compressed air or gas, as by employing this means the necessary force can be readilyv obtained for moving the signals. v

It yis a further object of niy invention to produce a signal that shall employ compressed air or gas and which shall be so con.

made and conveniently in-4 structed that vthe compressed gases can be obtained from the engine so as to make it unnecessary to' employ a separate. compressor.

The above and other objects, whichb will hereinafter appear, are attained by means of a combination of elements which I will now describe, reference f@ this purpose being had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred form is shown, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an automobile equipped with my improved si al.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation lof t e car shown in Fig. 1. f

y 1,469,806 (PATENT oFFlCE.

Fig. Bis-a section of the signal, ,taken on;

'line 3 3, Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 1s an end view of the signal shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the signal shown in Fig. 3, parts being broken away.

Flg. 6 is a view showing the relationship of the elements of my combination; and

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the valve control looking in 'the direction of the arrow 7 in Fig. 6.

The same reference characters will be used l to designate the same sev ral views.4

umeral 1` designates an automobile of any make having front fenders 2 and rear parts throughout the fenders 3. Secured to the top `of each fender is a' signal whichv I haveindicated as a whole by reference numeral 4. I provide four signals, one on each fender, the two signals on alsl each side forming a pair which operate together. Each signal 4 consists of a cylindrical member 5 whose ends are closed with heads 6 and 7. Within the cylinder 5 is a l piston 8 which is attached to a pistonrod 9' which extends through the head 6 and has `os y its outer end 10 bent rearwardly and parallel with the part inside ofthe cylinder. A plate or target 11 is fastened to the end 10 so -as to move withit. The'parts just described are enclosed within a casing 12 which is secured to the cylinder b screws 13.l .A spring 14 connects the end o 11 with the casing 12 and is tensioned so as to normally keep the parts in the'full line position. (Fig. 3). A nipple 15 is secured to the end of the cylinder and serves as ak means for making connection with the pipes that run to the storage reservoir. When air or gas under pressure is admitted to the cylinder through nipple 15 the' piston will be forced out-v and will carry with it the plate or target 11 on the rear side of which is painted an arrow 16 or other insignia which indicates the direction in which the car will turn. rlhe signal on the left ,front fender and the right rear fender are made like the' one shown in Figs'. 3to 5 and the others are reversed or what amounts to the same thing secured to the fenders with the other side down so that as a matteroffact, all four of the signals are made exactly the same. A small pocket 17 is secured to one end of the front side of eachv l-provide a storage tank 20 which may be secured tothe automobile in any convenient position. A pipe 21 extends to the engine and is connected by pipes 22 to the pipes 24 which extend from the priming cups 23 to the engine. 'lhe valves 25 are located between the point where the pipes 22 are connected'to pipes 24 and the priming cup. ln each of y these va ves are interconnected in such a 'manner that they can be simultaneously opened and closed by a movement'of the rod 27, which may extend to the instrument board so as to be within easy reach of the driver.' l provide acheck valve 28 on the end of the pipe 21 So as to prevent the y`gases from flowing backwards. l have shown the check valve 28 as located inside of the tank, but it may be located outside if desired. l have shown pipe 21 connected to all four cylinders, but it may be sufiicient to connect it to one or two.

forced through pipes 24, 22 and 21 into tank 20 and will be prevented from flowing backwards by the check valve 28e. A safety valve 29 1s connected to the tank.. The two sig-y nals on each side of the car are connected by means of a. pipe 30 which is connected by a pipe 31 with the l 32 which is connected on one side to valve 33 and on the other to valve 34. A pipe 35 connects the tank 20 with the valves 33. A pressure gauge 36 is connected to pipe 35L and is preferably located on the instrument board. Valves 33 and 34 are connected by a bar 37 1n such a `manner that a movement of the bar will open `and close the valves, the re.

.lationship of the valves being such that when valve 33 is o n, valve 34 will be closed and vlce versa. t is now evident that if an' or gas underpressure is contained in the tank 2O .and that if we open valve 33 and Aclose valve 34, the air pressure will be diipes 22 I provide a valve 26 and4 lt is evident that when the 'englne 1s operating, air andf gas will be Leeaeoe rected to the two signals on one side of the car and will move the piston outwardly to the dotted line position (Figs. 3 and 5). When the valves are operated so as to close valve 33 and open valve 34, the air will be permitted to exhaust through valve 33 and. the spring 14 will pull the platelll back into the casing 12. lt will be noticed from- Fig. 6 that there are two sets of valves 33 and 34, one set controlling the signals on the right side of the car, andthe other the signals on the left side of the car. The lamps 18 are supplied with current from the ignition batteries 38. A wire 39 leads from the batteries to a stationary insulated contact 40 which is located in the path of a movable contact 41, which is connected to an insulated bar 42, which is connected to valve-34 so as to move therewith. The contacts 40 and 41 are so related'to the valve 34 that they will close the circuit when the valve 34 is closed. and open it when the valve`33 is closed. In this manner thealamps 18 will alwaysbe lighted when the signal operates,

,providing switch 19 is closed. The valves 33 and 34 are located in suchl a place that the handle 43 is conveniently accessible tov the driver. Although ll have shown the control switch connected to the valve 34, itymay be operated by anyrother part that moves when the signals operate.

'lhe operation of my device is as follows: When the engine is started, the driver opens the valves 26 and keeps the same open until the gauge 36 indicates the proper pressure, after which the valves 26 are closed. When the driver desires' to turn to the left, hev grasps the handle 43 and moves the same from its upward (dotted line position Fi 7 to thev full line position (Fig. 7). 'llhls permits compressed gas to enter the cylinder 5 and to move the signal 11 outwardly.

When the turn has been completed, the

valves are` moved to dotted line position I (Fig. 7) and this in turn closes valve 33, cutting oill the supply of compressed gas and opens the valve 34Iwhich permits the gases to exhaust from the cylinders and the spring 14 to retract the plate 11.

Having now described myinvention, whatv I claim is:

1. An automobile traiic signal comprisy, ing, in combination, a cylinder, a piston lcause the plate te protrude from the casing;-

a source of compressed gas; means connecting said source to the pipe; a valve in said means; a second pipe connected to the irst named pipe; a valve in said second pipe; and means connecting said valves in such a manner that When one valve is closed, the other will be opened.

2. An automobile traiiic signal comprising, in combination, a cylinder; a piston slidably mounted therein; a U-shaped piston rod, one side of said piston rod extending through one end of the cylinder and the other side extending parallel to the cylinder on the outside thereof; a plate secured to the side of the piston rod that is outside of the cylinder; a casing enclosing said cylinder and plate; spring means for normally maintaining the piston and plate in retracted position; and means for moving said plate and piston against the tension of the spring, said means comprising an elastic. iuid under pressure.

3. An automobile trafiic signal comprising, in combination, a cylinder; a piston slidably mounted therein; a U-shaped piston rod, one side of said piston rod extending through one end ofthe cylinder and the other side extending parallel to the cylinder on the outside thereof; a plate secured to the side of the piston rod that is outside of the cylinder; a casing enclosing said cylinder and plate; spring means for normally maintaining the piston and plate in retracted position; a tank adapted to contain a gas under pressure; means comprising a pipe for connecting the tank to the cylinder; a

valve in said pipe whereby when said valve l is opened, gas under pressure will enter the cylinder and move the piston and plate; an exhaust pipe connected to said cylinder; a Valve in said pipe; and means connecting said valves so that they move together and so that when one opens the other closes. p

4. n automobile tratic signal comprising, in combination, a cylinder; a piston slidably mounted therein; a U-shaped piston rod, one side of said piston rod extending through one end of the cylinder and the other side extending parallel to the cylinder on the outside thereof; a plate secured to the side of the piston rod that is outside of the cylinder; a casing enclosing said cylinder and plate; spring means for normally maintaining the piston and plate in retracted position; a tank adapted to contain a gas under pressure; means for compressing ,gas into said tank, said means comprising an internal combustion engine; pipes connecting the combustion chambers with said tank; a. check valve in the pipe Which connects with the tank; a pipe extending from the tank to the cylinder; a valve in said pipe; an exhaust pipe connected with said last named pipe; and means connecting said valves, said means moving said valves in unison se that when one opens the other closes.

ln testimony whereof l aiiix my signature.

MCHAEL C. OHL 

